The End Of You
by Leki
Summary: For years police and special forces have been trying to keep Team Rocket and their nefarious Boss from spreading from the already over run Kanto to the under prepared Johto. Unfortunately there isn't enough help against Giovanni's sheer power and force of number. The region is overwhelmed. How long can our heroes run already exhausted from the fight while Rocket is running rampant?
1. Dysfunctional Town

The End of You

For years, police and special forces have been trying to keep Team Rocket and their nefarious Boss from spreading from the already over run Kanto to the under prepared Johto. Unfortunately, there isn't enough help against Giovanni's sheer power and force of number, and the region is overwhelmed. How long can our heroes run, already exhausted from the fight, while Rocket is running rampant?

Notes: Screw the games, manga and everything else. This is a big mashup from the Poke-Multiverse, including my own fanon and ideas on the many different character counterparts. This includes the names I am used to calling them. By the way, Cal = Gold. Marina=Crystal.

This is my first attempt at a long, complicated storyline. I have a bad habit of giving up on stories, so please give me feedback, both good and bad. Tell me what you loved, hated, whats useless, what kept you on the edge waiting for the next chapter? Please help me keep this story alive. I already have the next 2 chapters ready, but I need some support!

P1..::..Dysfunctional Town

"Hurry." Cal hissed, his voice ragged from loss of breath, lost from running. He was running down the street, hopping nimbly around piles of garbage and keeping an eye on the younger girl in front of him. He grit his teeth, getting impatient at her progress, but unable to hurry her. Even despite her lack of physical capability and younger body, being a lab tech and all, the broken and partially shattered cobblestones, slicked with oil and rain, were hard to walk on, much less run. And she was untrained. Shit. He was lucky he had been an outdoorsman before all of... _this_... happened. He even had time to look back, long enough to see that nobody was coming. No, that was wrong. They were coming, and they wouldn't stop. They just didn't have their prey in sight yet. His eyes darted back ahead, this time focusing on the other young woman leading the way, this one more capable. Her blue hair jutted up behind her, bouncing with each running leap she made. Somewhere along the way, her star hair adornment had been ripped away, along with her hat.

"Shit!" With a sharp explanation, the woman skidded to a halt, snarling. With a dash past the younger woman that was struggling up and over the heap of furniture that had cascaded down from an upper window, maybe from an escape attempt without a broken neck, he met his partner on the other side of the trashed home goods.

"Aw shit..." He agreed with her. A sharp, ragged fissure went down the middle of the street. Where it hit into the buildings, the buildings had collapsed, not able to keep their former squarish shape, and now just a rubble heap, and beyond this fissure and down the alley were broken light fixtures and beams, all collapsed. The gap itself was deep, probably like a 8 on the earthquake scale. A hefty Pokemon had done this, perhaps a Rhydon. And its intended victim had fallen, along with the buildings. The rotting corpses of a Flareon and a young woman were there, deep in the depths of the crack, and a little higher up, caught by its spines, was a Sandslash. The boney eye sockets of poor thing were flecked with bits of flesh. Cal shuddered, drawing back with a spasm of shock, out of his revere. He still wasn't used to seeing bodies outside of caskets.

And suddenly, a smell assaulted his nose. A bitter, burnt smell, with a mouthful of burned eggs beneath it. It was the noxious spillings of a Wheezing. Normally, just building up in its body could cause one of them to Explode. But now, whether it was that trainer in black or a wild Wheezing, it wasn't safe. And with the two hot on their trail, Cal wasn't willing to leave it to chance.

"Marina!" With a sharp look and growl to the woman beside him, he stood up straighter, looking across the gap they could not jump, "Meganium-"

"-Is burnt to a crisp." Marina hissed back at him, gritting her teeth and spreading her legs in a nervous, ready stance, despite the fact that they could never really truly be ready, "And Togetic is dead." Cal's eyes flashed with shock. He hadn't known that. No vines or wings to help them.

They had met up, somewhere around an offset of Violet, and he didn't have much of a clue what had happened to her before then. They'd been so busy running since then they hadn't had a moment to catch up on stories. Cal had been carting Kotone, the youngest one with them back towards Azalea where Elm was waiting, as it was no longer safe in New Bark, not when he was renowned to live there, and study. He was a hermit, and didn't leave the town much. Unfortunately, it had taken the explosion of his lab and the theft of his computer data, and almost the theft of his life, to make him realize that he had to cave in and run. So, they had moved. Marina, as he had found her out as they jogged, had been returning from Cherrygrove while trying to get some medical supplies. Unfortunately, all she had found were two first aids and some bottled water, bound in her backpack. Kotone was too busy huffing and gasping for breath to really be apart of the conversation and had to content herself with listening.

It was on their way back to relative safety that they had been spotted by the two men. The one in white, and the one in black. Cal, realizing them for what they were despite their dress-me downed look to appear casual, had grabbed Marina to a screeching halt, and with a lick of sense and obedience she had halted. Unfortunately, they had not been fast enough to grab Kotone before she had yelled out.

_Flashback_

"_Oh, heeey!" Kotone raised her arms, oblivious to the horrified looks on her companions' faces behind her, out of her sight, their arms outstretched for her, frozen now with their horror, "More survivors, hey, over here!" She had been so relieved to see other people, after having been cut off from everyone for so long, cooped up in that little hideout near Azalea, that her eyes were filling with tears. One man whipped around, his hand tightening around a whip in his hand. Kotone slowly slowed down, not running as quickly towards him when she saw the weapon, uncertainty just now starting to creep into her, and then finally a flash of understanding at the red Rs on their shirts. The other man, the one in white, turned slower than his companion. The grin that was already plastered on the man in black's face was now creeping onto the white one's._

_Cal felt fear curling in his stomach, a sickening feeling that had his stomach churning. There was a low, deep growl and a snort of ash from the bushes. Cal's head jerked to look, and there was the scarred, red snout of a Houndoom, its red, red eyes glaring him down from behind the smoke it had snorted._

"_RUN! NOW!" Cal screamed his command, harsh and jolting, snatching Kotone from her frozen in a spotlight look. Marina was already turning with a grimace, jetting. Despite the command having only been two words long, it wasn't enough. The Houndoom's mouth caught in a bite, down on Marina's fleeing back, on her backpack, ripping away her hard earned supplies. Kotone jumped, literally off the ground, and turned, running, in the wrong direction- Dammit! Cal had to grab her wrist and jerk her away from where she was heading and trust Marina to follow them. She had been trying to go to her original destination, Elm and Azalea, but they couldn't lead __**them**_ _there, or it would all be over for the rest. Elm wasn't a fighter he was a researcher. Cal and Marina were their best, that's why they were out in the field, and that's why they had to protect it. Meaning they couldn't run for safety._

_There was a cackle behind them, and then as Marina turned to run, a blot of acid, a Sludge Bomb from a levitating Wheezing they hadn't seen, splattered all over her shoulder. Marina cried out in pain, but cut it off with a snarl and threw her jacket off, burning her hand but saving her shoulder and arm. With good teamwork, she somehow managed to run forward, picking up the slow Kotone and running, as Cal turned and with his Typhlosion, managed to spew Flamethrowers and Smokescreens for their retreat._

And now here they were, far, far away from Azalea, their escape cut off by a Fissure attack, Pokemon too exhausted to carry them to safety, stuck in this maze of crumbling buildings, trash and smoldering fires, the smog of an overworked factory city overwhelming the sky with red fumes. The smell was growing stronger in their nostrils, and began to sting their eyes as they look frantically at the dilapidated buildings, frantic with escape. Cal groaned, throwing his Pokeball and motioned his Typhlosion to stand up on its shaking legs.

"Come on, buddy, stretch." It reared on its hind legs, catching its claws as high up on the wall as it could go. Nimbly, Cal climbed up its back, and standing on its shaking shoulders, started to pry plywood from the nails into the wall. He would have wrapped his hands in his socks to cushion them, but they didn't have time. He bloodied his hands on the rusted stubs, but in the end, he managed to climb in. Marina was next up, quickly, quickly, and then suddenly, Typhlosion fell down to its side, huffing and whining deeply in its chest. Kotone squeaked, hands fisted in its fur, panic starting to envelope her. She was the last down in the street. Whispering, Cal urged his buddy up, until finally it stood, and with weary eyes, lifted up so Kotone could climb and the other two could hoist her into the wall. With a weary thump, Typhlosion slipped down onto its haunches. Cal recalled it, and slipped the plywood shut. As they were sneaking away, there was a loud snarl from a Houndoom, _that_, Houndoom, and a blast ripped out in the alleyway, igniting the fumes. Fire was thrumming against the walls, and over the roar of the flames, igniting the gas that had been seeping into the alleyway, Cal roared to keep going. Smoke was billowing through the cracks, until suddenly it didn't have to anymore. The plywood and piece of the walls were caved in, and now smoke was really, really billowing in, in clouds.

Marina dropped to her hands and knees, and the other two followed suit, trying to stay alive, breathing beneath the smoke, trying to get clean air but still taking in soot. Marina yelped when an ember landed on her hand, and Cal hissed at the searing heat behind him. Stumbling, they made it on all fours down a flight of stairs, bumping into tables and chair legs, until they went down one more flight, hurriedly, the timbers groaning above them. They stumbled down the stairs in a heap, gasping and gulping and coughing for breath, too exhausted to carry on, waiting for their fate. The building started to collapse at the top of the stairs, but thankfully didn't go any farther. They could hear burning, but it wasn't getting past the stone of the cellar they had stumbled into. They waited, unquietly due to their gasping, waiting, waiting for it to become safe again.

Thankfully, thanks to the fire, the wrenched plywood from the window wouldn't show their attackers which way they had went. Hopefully, their attackers thought they were a pile of ash. Hopefully. Slowly, with a mutual feeling of dread, they all slowly took stock. They were in a cellar, filled with wooden boxes, and cardboard boxes, all stacked high, newspapers spilling everywhere, tubs of plastic bottles stacked against the walls, barely neat. A hoarder's cellar. Cal gulped. If the blaze reached down here, with all this flammable stuff, they would become kindling for the bonfire. It'd be up in a bright flash in seconds. With a sigh, they sorted themselves out.

Marina wound up climbing onto the pile, trying to see through the smudged high windows that opened onto ground level, maybe enough room for a body to squirm through, maybe not. If they didn't have angles on them. Cal lay sprawled on his side in the trash beside Marina, his Typhlosion curled beside him. He was stroking her carefully, inspected her. She was shaking, exhausted, and one of her fangs had been broken.

"Oh, baby..." Cal whispered to her. Against the wall, Kotone gulped, whimpering, and wiping her eyes on her sleeve, squeezing her Maril to her chest tightly.

"Maybe the Elite Four will rise up, yano? Maybe they'll take action! Aren't they meant to, like, police the regions anyways?"

"The Elite Four are dead meat." Marina spat dryly from her perch on the moldly cardboard. At her dour words, Kotone flinched, "And even if they aren't? Their numbers are few against many, no matter their elitism."

"There weren't that many of them..." Kotone smiled bleakly. Marina just stared down at Kotone.

"And you really think that's all of them?" Marina stared at Kotone with a grim frown. There was silence, and then a chuckle from Cal.

"Way to kill the mood, Mar." Cal said wryly. Marina shot a glare at him, mouth opening to mouth her displeasure.

"Kill the mood? WE might as well be dead." Marina spat out at him. Cal leaned over, looking up at Marina and nudging her with his elbow, an easy grin plastered on his face, eyes dark but still sparkling with life that threatened to hang on tenaciously.

"Kick it Mar, huh?" He stared her in the eyes, and Marina's eyes softened towards him, her oldest friend. She glanced at Kotone, who was squeezing her Maril and starting to blubber against its skin. Marina sighed and turned away, hugging her knees, unsure of how to deal with a blubbering female. Cal shrugged his shoulders in a 'Whatcha gonna do?' gesture, and scooted down the threatening to slide pile of junk and swung his but around to sit beside Kotone arm around her shoulder, an easy grin on his face. Kotone sniffled, squeezing his shorts clad leg tightly.

"Shouldn't you be comforting Marina?" Kotone asked.

"Mars a big girl. She can take care of herself." Cal squeezed her easily, stretching back as if he were in a nice, pleasant room and not a rotting pit. Kotone obviously felt the weight of the situation, and shuddered, starting to cry again.

"I d-don't like it here." Kotone sobbed, trying to bite at her sleeve to keep from crying out too loud. They both looked up when Marina spoke.

"Well, too bad. Welcome to Goldenrod. It might as well be Rocket Town."

There was silence. In the morning they would try to dig themselves out.


	2. Sniffling Never Helps

p id="docs-internal-guid-01a74a1c-b98a-6722-ec68-5f12ec25ca17" dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;" Never Helps/span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""What... what was this place, anyways? I can't remember. I... I didn't get very far on my journey. Before, yano, everything started to fall apart." Kotone tacked the last bit on, almost as if she were apologizing. Marina looked at her, a hard look to her face.span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Quit apologizing." Marina said.span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""I didn't-" Kotone started, appalled at Marina's command.span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Yes, you are, just with more words. You think like that and you are going to die. Don't apologize. Buff up your mentality." Kotone huffed, catching her breath in her mouth and slightly puffing her cheeks for a moment. Childishly rebellious. Marina sighed tiredly, standing up, and leaning her shoulder against the wall, listening. Although Cal was more on the people friendly side than Cal, he silently agreed with her. And he suddenly realized, being polite wouldn't help them, not now.span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""She's right, Kotone." Cal said. Kotone turned to him, her face looking slightly hurt. The good guy was telling her off to.span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""...Fine! Take sides!" Kotone said and got up, stomping over and sat down heavily behind some big plastic containers, not waiting to get an answer to her questions. Cal sighed heavily, stretching back against the wall and yawning. Let her pout. He was too tired to deal with her. Cal narrowed his eyes. His eyes went to Mar as she slid down the pile of junk she had been sitting on and she leaned against Cal's shoulder. They were silent.span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Anytime you quit acting like a brat, we're ready for an apology." Marina called sternly. There was a huff from the other side of the boxes, and then a rustle, and then finally silence. Cal nudged Marina with his elbow before wrapping his arm around her shoulder, leaning his head tiredly against hers.span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Shuddup Mar." Cal told her with a small sigh.span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""I know. I'm not being compassionate." Marina said and sighed back, not sounding very sorry.span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Nah, that's never been your style." Cal closed his eyes, "Let's get some sleep." Cal raised his voice, "Come on', Kot, join us."span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""I'm fine." Kotone said huffily, and then shut up, her Maril abruptly squeaking. Cal shrugged. She kinda annoyed him too. She needed a good slap of cold reality, on the cold floor./span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Despite the discomfort of their situation, they eventually settled down to sleep./span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"-span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Cal found himself walking... a field of flowers everywhere, red and purple, sure, but mostly the yellow of dandelions. Grass as far as the eye could see. At the edges of his vision, and far, far off in the distance he could see trees. But they were miniscule. A dab of blue that might be a lake, might be a piece of sky through the trees. Might be anything. It was just so, so blue. He shivered. He'd never liked clearings. There was something ominous about them. Now that he thought about it, he really didn't like the color blue, either. He saw black figures, humans, maybe a Pokemon, in the distance, and his shiver became more violent. He hunched over partially, shivering more violently than he had before. He turned away, and suddenly he was surrounding by buildings. Red smog swirling everywhere, overwhelming even the vastness of the skyscrapers, smelling of gasoline. He turned around and the blue sky of the field seemed to swamp him, overwhelming the green of the grass and the smell of dirt and open air. He turned to the red, blue, red and back to blue. Something irked him, neither seemed like a good choice. Why was-span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"-span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Cal was awakened by a vigorous shaking of his Typhlosion./span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Huhn? What is it girl?" Cal stared at her, puzzled by her frantically swinging head, his own head groggy from sleep, but his heart thundering like he'd ran miles. It took him a second to realize her nostrils were frantically flaring and she was sniffing. Suddenly, he let loose a shrill whistle./span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""EVERYBODY UP!" He demanded in a loud voice. He could hear the crackle of flames, but he didn't see fire yet, or see any kind of glow, nor did he see smoke, but he could smell that wretched gas. Looks like their pursuers had doubled back while they had slept. Marina was on her feet, blinking the sleep away and focusing on him./span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Cal!" Marina said./span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Where's Kotone?" Cal looked around frantically, and Kotone wasn't there/span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Kotone!" Marina barked, running up the hill of trash and looking around. The windows were still sealed, and the entrance they'd come through was very obviously blocked by fallen debris. Cal ran forward, and looked behind the containers she'd moved behind. There she was, unmoving./span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Kotone, wake up!" Cal grabbed her, shaking her, but her eyes weren't opening. The gas must of gotten to her, and she'd gone to sleep far, far too soon, "Kotone, now, wake up, NOW!" When her eyes didn't so much as flutter, he smacked her cheek as hard as he could. There! That made her eyes fluttered. Marina came to them just then, her fanny pack buckled to her hips. They both hauled her up, and as Cal hauled her up, he had to raise his voice above the rumbling and sound of flame, "Get the window! THE WINDOW!" Marina jumped to the task. She snatched a dirty towel in the floor and wrapped it around her knuckles, jumping up on a crate she'd moved beneath the window last night, and steadied herself quickly, knocking the glass outwards, swiftly hitting all the shards and sweeping them away. She should have done this last night, she should have, but she had been too exhausted. She tossed her hip packs through, then hopped down, looking at Cal./span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Up."/span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Marina, go-"/span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""UP!" Marina glared at him, and took Kotone from him. Cal's eyes darkened. Marina might not be able to fit because of her hips. He got up, hoisting himself up, having to bend his arms and stretch them slowly, too slowly for his liking until he could haul himself up. Cal turned reached inside the window, wincing from the pain of his shins, stabbed by pricks of glass. He'd have to pick the shards out later, but thank God he had his tennis shoes on. Kotone, lifted by Cal and Marina, wheezing and coughing her lungs clear and starting to wake up, was lifted above the glass and got out without a scrape. Marina hoisted herself up, and just as she feared, she got stuck by her hips./span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Goddammit!" Cal hissed, eyes narrowing, and he kicked the wall. Marina squirmed, trying to lay diagonally to give herself more room. She raised her hands to Cal and he grabbed them, pulling. Slowly she started to pull through, and she groaned as her skin was scraped from her hips. There was a whoosh of air from inside the room, as fire finally reached it, but by then, Marina was out, kneeling and putting her fanny pack on herself as fire licked at the their backs from the window./span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Goddamn is right, this town wants every bit of blood and skin we got." She got up, starting to run with Cal and the disorientated Kotone./span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"As they burst out into the street, stumbling slightly, Cal's eyes widened in shock. The streets ahead of them and off to one side were blazing with fire. The fire, building on the tall city buildings, was so high that it was making the air red and bright, as if night wasn't even happening./span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Oh my God, they're burning the city down..." Cal stared in wide eyed shock as the fire ravaged and spread. He could see purple gas seeping out from alleys, where the fire hadn't spread yet./span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Cal we gotta go, come on, come on-" Marina tugged at his arm urgently, glancing around frantically. Her moves were getting sluggish, from staying on this high level of alert, and her eyes weren't as bright as they were yesterday, "Cal-"/span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""SQUAK!" A Golbat burst above a building, its alert eyes catching sight of them./span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""CAL!" Cal stared at the beast, and rage erupted in his chest. He whipped his fishing rod away from his back and cast the sharp hook at the squawking bat. It fell short by several feet, and Cal pulled it back bitterly. Its mouth widened and its voice heightened in pitch as it released a Screech. Cal grit his teeth, clamping his hands over his ears tightly and glaring at it angrily, releasing his Typhlosion and starting to go after it./span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""I'm gonna crisp that motherfucking BAT-" He started to go after that wretched thing, wanting to wring it for what its masters had done to this once busy, bustling city. This place that had once been so full of people you couldn't go two steps without bumping into someone or catching sight of a new shop or some attraction. It wasn't right, it wasn't fair. He was jerked off balance by Marina grabbing his arm and very forcefully starting to drag them off./span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""We can't do this now, I know you wanna kick their asses, so do I, but we HAVE to get to Elm! TODAY!" She kept jerking him, and Cal turned after a few seconds of staring at that bat, who was still screeching and making his everything tingle and hurt. Suddenly it dipped out of sight, and he knew it was getting its master. He turned and ran for his life./span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"They made it several streets before Kotone lost it, her glazed eyes filling with tears./span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""NO! NO! I QUIT! If we give up, they'll go easy on us!" Kotone screeched, suddenly stopping and digging her feet in. Cal, attached to her by a hand, jerked to a stop, and he whirled on her./span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Kotone, now is NOT THE TIME to have a GODDAMN LACK OF SANITY!" He tugged on her, but she resisted. Fed up, he grit his teeth angrily and snatched her up, putting her on his shoulder. They didn't have time for pit deep hopes, nor did they have time to snap her out of it, if she COULD be snapped out it. This goddamn girl had been a hindrance since he'd picked her up the first time. He ignored the pounding on his back from her fists, the flailing of her legs and ran as fast as he could. There was a stitch on his side. Marina snarled beside him, grabbing Kotone's legs and carrying her with him./span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Tacked together by Kotone's body as they were, they all fell as that goddamn Golbat slammed into them, tackling them to the ground./span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""FOUND YOU!" A loud human's voice screeched from behind them, "FOUND YOU! HAHAHAHAHAH! SLUDGE BOMB!" Marina gasped and then screamed as a flat out sludge hit her in the back. Cal and Marina dragged themselves up, Marina's face turning red with exertion. That was the second poisonous attack she'd been attacked with. They heaved Kotone's now limp body, having gone unconscious somewhere between now and the ground, and stumbled forward. With squawk the Golbat was back, in their faces, its feet wrapped around Kotone's arm and mercilessly lifting her. Cal and Marina struggled, pulling against it, but it lifted her up, dislocating Kotone's arm and pulling her out of reach. Cal cursed and started running, only to be tackled by the Houndoom, and then Kotone was completely out of sight, gone from his life. Marina kicked at the dog with her tennis shoe and it bit down on her foot, making her yelp. As she kicked, she was lashed in the back with a whip, "Hahaha, you can't escape from me! I'll catch you, and you'll come to fear the name Proton!" Again she was lashed, this time her arm getting tangled in the whip's length. With a grunt, Cal jerked his hip, pushing his pokeball button into the ground. When he saw the white trunk starting to appear in white light, he called his command./span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Poison Jab!" Donphan thrust its tusks at Houndoom, heaving it off and throwing it through the air. With a jerky twist of its body, Houndoom landed on a nearby rock, crouching down and leapt off, crumpling the Donphan into the ground, where it struggled to throw him off. Cal ran to Marina, and jerked the whip forward, tugging Proton off his balance. Marina gathered the whip and lashed it at Proton, who caught it expertly and jerked it out of your hands./span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""You SERIOUSLY thought you'd attack me with my OWN WEAPON?!" Proton grinned and snapped her in the shin with a crack, making her howl with agony, bloody starting to pour down her bare skin from the metal tip./span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Where's your partner, creep?" Cal snarled, his eyes flashing as his Donphan jabbed repetitively at the Houndoom. Proton's eyes widened as he lashed out with his whip, and Cal was forced to hop backwards./span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""NONE OF YOU CONCERN!" With a grin her started to push them backwards. Gritting his teeth, eyes flashing fire Cal was forced backwards again. He had seen the forest line from before Proton had caught up to them, it was close, but too far for the way they were being dogged. With a rattle of its Pokeball, Typhlosion came out, standing on all four legs beside him, too weary to stand on too./span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Girl?!" Cal's eyes widened in shock. With a tired and determined flex, her sharp bristle of fire burst from her neck. But the flames were slow and tired, "Girl, get back in your ball, now!" Typhlosion bristled when the beam of light hit her, shaking it off and refusing to go back in. With a roar a column of flame blasted Proton off his feet and flung him backwards. The flame quit, only to have smoke spewed out every which way, fanning the area. When Cal touched her, getting her to run, she bristled and his hand came away burned. She shoved him away and flames went up between them. Cal stumbled backwards, the high grass at his feet turning into flames and running into the bushes. He watched in horror as his started sealed herself off from him and continued to use her flame to hold him off./span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Cal, we have to go." Marina gripped his arm and they started to run towards the forest. He knew they didn't have a chance without her. His only other Pokemon was weary from battle, and his others had been left with Elm for either healing or protection. He didn't have a choice. His Ambipom couldn't even reach her. He couldn't reach her. With a growl of anger, Cal ran into the forest with Marina./span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""LEAVING YOUR PRECIOUS POKEMON TO DIE?!" Proton yelled to them, a goodbye. It took everything in Cal to keep running, and not try and wipe that laughter from that asshole's body. Even through the darkening shadows and density of Ilex, they could see the flickering shadows of the fire. Behind them, they heard Proton laugh, and then there was a sickening crack and a roar of pain. More roaring sounds of fire, and then they were too far away to hear anymore.span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"-span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"An hour into the forest...span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Four." Marina dredged forward, a feeling of weight heavy on her shoulders./span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""What?" Cal trudged beside her, his gaze on his feet. Maybe if he didn't look at the horizon, at the fact that their destination never seemed to get in sight, maybe he just wouldn't give up.span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Two Pokemon gone. Meganium. Togekiss. Gone before I even got back to you. Typhlosion to protect us. Kotone makes a fourth loss." Marina ran her hand up her face and back over her head, exasperated, put out, depressed. Feeling down. Cal's eyes narrowed, as he felt a thread of guilt and pity along with his own pain.span/p  
>p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""I know." He couldn't say he was sorry. It wasn't his fault, and he couldn't help her. And he couldn't help his precious baby girl, the starter who'd been there all along through his journeys. It didn't seem right she wasn't here, right when they were heading back to Elm for some food and rest. Oh God, it hurt.span/p 


End file.
